Cross-Device Retargeting and Local Search – Exploring the Concept

We live in a world of multiple devices. Just consider how many devices you’ve used over the course of your day. You might’ve used a laptop or a PC at work, a tablet at home, and a smart phone on your commute. People switch between different devices at all times. In 2015, Google declared that mobile search volume had officially surpassed desktop.

As a consequence, marketers have started to focus their attention on mobile. However, at Savage Global Marketing, we believe that ignoring one platform for the other might not be a good idea. Instead, we believe it’s better to focus on multiple devices.

The Importance of Multiple Device Focus

According to research, about 7 out of 10 people switch devices, especially when they’re performing local search. For example, consider this scenario. Say you want to purchase a pair of shoes, you might look into a few options on your desktop and read some reviews on different brands to make the best purchase decision. After that, you might step out your home and continue the search on your mobile phone, looking for a specific store in your area that sells that particular brand. This is where your search for the product becomes mobile and local.

This is the path that most people take when they’re buying something, especially things that they’d like to see and feel before making a purchase. You’ll also notice how the search shifts seamlessly from desktop to mobile. That can shift back as well. You might be reading something on your mobile phone, spot an ad or an interesting product, bookmark it and later, view in on your desktop or laptop.

Unlike what most marketers believe, the user behavior when it comes to search platforms isn’t straightforward and simple. According to a study commissioned by Facebook, about 60% of the people interviewed agreed that they use at least two different mobile devices during the day and about 25% agreed that they used more than three.

Mobile and Local

Mobile is a boon for local businesses. According to comScore, about 80% of all local searches on mobile platforms like smart phones convert. There are some local searches that are focused on mobile. According to this study:

Local restaurants and cafes are searched 23% of the time.

Local auto services businesses and dealerships are searched about 10% of the time.

Arts and entertainment are searched about 9% of the time.

Cross-Device Retargeting

Seeing that individual users move from one device to another on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to target them across all platforms. This is done by identifying an individual unique user across different platforms. For example, if a user has researched a dress on her laptop in the morning, retargeting would show ads regarding the product on her smart phone later. This is a boon for local businesses.

If you have any questions at all about local search, web design, and digital marketing, etc, you can contact us at Savage Global Marketing. You can get in touch with us by filling in this contact us form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. You can also give us a call on 954 383 7092.